Enjoy a Paleo super-food for breakfast by making these tigernut flour pancakes! Easy to make, these Paleo, grain-free, gluten-free tigernut pancakes are extremely nutritious as well as delicious!
Jump to:
- What are tigernuts?
- Tigernut Flour Pancakes - Paleo, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, and Refined Sugar-Free
- Are tigernuts low FODMAP?
- What does tigernut flour taste like?
- Where can I buy tigernut flour?
- Is tigernut flour easy to work with?
- Necessary Equipment
- Tigernut Flour Pancakes: Ingredients & Success Tips
- Easy Tigernut Flour Pancakes (Paleo, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free)
- Related Recipes
What are tigernuts?
Tigernuts, also spelled "tiger nuts" and known as chufa nuts, are actually not nuts at all - they're tubers that grow in the ground like potatoes. Apparently, people have been eating them for centuries - in fact, they may have made up as much as 80 percent of the early human diet.
Tigernuts are often called a "superfood" as they are extremely nutrient-dense. According to this excellent article, tigernuts are about 33 percent fiber, contain resistant starch that serves as a valuable prebiotic, are rich in healthy fats, contain a long list of vitamins and minerals, and more.
Tigernut Flour Pancakes - Paleo, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, and Refined Sugar-Free
These easy tigernut pancakes are Paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. In spite of this, they are insanely tasty.
Are tigernuts low FODMAP?
I started researching tigernut flour after I stumbled upon an article of Whole Food's Market Top Food Trends for 2020, mentioning "super flours" like tigernut flour becoming more popular in the new year. During my research, I discovered that tigernuts have been declared low FODMAP by Monash University, the leading authority on FODMAP research:
BUT (and this is a big BUT), I've confirmed with Monash that they have not yet tested tigernut flour and cannot safely say that it is low FODMAP. So, until that happens, I am hesitant to label tigernut flour pancakes low FODMAP.
In our correspondence, Monash mentioned that foods that have not been tested for low FODMAP can still be eaten by a person with IBS by testing their own tolerance to it. Read more about this here: www.monashfodmap.com/blog/testing-your-tolerance-to-untested-foods
What does tigernut flour taste like?
Although my experience with it is not vast, I would liken the taste of tigernut flour to a lighter version of whole wheat flour. It also has the littlest bit of of grittiness, so biting into the pancakes is kind of like biting into a berry with small seeds. I don't find it off-putting at all, but others may.
Where can I buy tigernut flour?
In Canada (or at least in my area), there don't seem to be a lot of options of where to buy tigernut flour. I have not seen it anywhere locally, so I purchased it on Amazon. It was really expensive but seems far less expensive in the US with more brands to choose from. If Whole Foods Market's predictions are correct and it gains in popularity, I hope it will also become more affordable.
Is tigernut flour easy to work with?
I found tigernut flour very easy to work with to make these pancakes; however, ease of use may vary depending on which brand you end up using. I used Organic Gemini Organic Tigernut Flour and it seems to be good quality flour, although I haven't used any other brand to compare it to.
When compared to my experience making almond flour pancakes, the tigernut flour pancakes didn't take as long to cook through, and they seemed way easier to flip in terms of holding together, even in the earliest recipe testing stages. I really enjoyed working with it and plan to use it in future recipes.
Necessary Equipment
The equipment I used to make these tigernut flour pancakes include:
- A cast iron griddle or pan
- Measuring spoons and cups
- 2 large bowls
- Small measuring cup or bowl to whisk in
- Citrus juicer (unless you have pre-squeezed lemon juice)
- Whisks
- Cookie sheet and parchment paper to keep the finished pancakes warm while the others are cooking (optional)
Tigernut Flour Pancakes: Ingredients & Success Tips
"Buttermilk" (almond milk + lemon juice)
Buttermilk is a classic ingredient in traditional pancake recipes. Not only does it make them yummy, the acidity within buttermilk activates the baking soda, helping to fluff up the pancakes. I make a Paleo version of buttermilk by combining lemon juice with almond milk.
Flour and Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, I combine the tigernut flour with tapioca flour (a.k.a. tapioca starch). The tapioca flour serves as a binder and also helps give the tigernut pancakes a smoother texture. I add the maple sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon to the flours and whisk to combine.
Wet Ingredients
In another large bowl, I add two eggs, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and the "buttermilk" mixture. The coconut oil should be melted and moderately hot so that once it's added to the cold ingredients, it doesn't solidify. Whisk vigorously until there are bubbles in the mixture.
Combine and Cook
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until blended and no lumps remain. The batter will be a bit thin at first until it sits for a few minutes. I then put my cast iron griddle on medium-low heat and spray it lightly with avocado oil cooking spray. Once hot, I pour a heaping ⅛ cup of batter on the griddle to form pancakes 4 inches in diameter. I allow them to cook until they start getting crusty around the edges, which takes between 1-1 ½ minutes. I flip using a large silicone spatula and allow the pancakes to cook about another minute on the other side. As I can only fit two pancakes at a time on my griddle, I keep the finished pancakes warm on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in a 200° F preheated oven.
For Serving
My family likes our tigernut flour pancakes topped with ghee, pure maple syrup (a.k.a. "Canada") and fresh or frozen fruit, typically strawberries or blueberries.
Print
Easy Tigernut Flour Pancakes (Paleo, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Enjoy a Paleo superfood for breakfast by making these tigernut flour pancakes! Easy to make, these Paleo, grain-free, gluten-free pancakes are nutritious as well as delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 cup tigernut flour
- ½ cup tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon maple sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Avocado oil cooking spray (or your preferred cooking spray)
Instructions
- In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the almond milk with the lemon juice and allow to sit for 5 minutes. This is your dairy-free "buttermilk."
- While the "buttermilk" is sitting, in a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: the tigernut flour, tapioca flour, maple sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Once the "buttermilk" is ready, in another large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: the "buttermilk," two large eggs, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk the mixture well until lots of bubbles have formed.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk to combine until no lumps remain. The batter will be somewhat thin.
- Heat a cast iron griddle or skillet on medium-low heat and spray lightly with cooking spray. Once your griddle is hot, pour a heaping ⅛ cup of the batter to make pancakes approx. 4 inches in diameter. Cook on medium-low heat until the edges start to get crusty, about 1-1½ minutes per side, and then flip.
- If you don't have a huge griddle, you can keep the cooked pancakes warm while cooking the others by placing them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in a 200°F preheated oven.
- Top with ghee (or butter), pure maple syrup, and/or fresh or frozen fruit.
Notes
- Servings: Makes about 14-16 pancakes with 3-4 pancakes per serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Katharine Capra says
These weee delicious!! I made them as wafes in my waffle maker. Just addrd one more tb of coconut oil and added fresh blueberries. Tooped it with Lakanto monkfruit maple flavor syrup. The best flour mix by far! Almond dlour is too gritty for me. I can t have it anyway bc I am low fodmap. I read tigernut is low fodmap. It is also le tin free for folks also doing plant paradox diet. These made my day! I ve been eating boring food on low fod. This was a joy for my taste buds!
Gail says
I'm so glad you liked them, Katharine! "...a joy for my taste buds!" - I love that description! 🙂 Thanks for trying them! I hope to develop more recipes using tigernut flour in the future.
Jillian says
This was absolutely delicious!! Thanks so much for an incredible recipe. I subbed three items (based on what our body can tolerate): 1) oat milk vs. almond milk, 2) monk fruit sweetener vs. maple sugar and 3) avocado oil vs. coconut oil. Came out marvelous and hubby wanted seconds. Thank you again, BRAVO!
Gail says
I'm so happy you liked it, Jillian! Those sound like great substitutions. Thanks for making it and taking the time to rate and review the recipe!
Claire Rostron says
Can I try these without egg? Maybe apple sauce instead what do you think? Thank you! X
Gail says
Hi Claire! I've never tried to make them without egg so I can't say with any certainty, but I've seen applesauce used as a substitute for egg in other recipes, so I believe it could work. I've quickly googled it - a few sites say to use 1/4 cup of applesauce per egg. If you end up trying it, I'd love to hear how they turned out!
Erika says
I just made these for breakfast. They are light and fluffy...which I think is important for pancakes. The tigernut flour kind of reminds me of the texture of whole wheat pancakes. I used 1/2 cup fresh blueberries in the batter. It was good!
Gail says
So glad you liked them Erika! Thanks for trying them!
Sarah S. says
Wonderful texture! Light and fluffy, just like pancakes should be, with a little bit of sweetness and a hint of tanginess from the buttermilk. I omitted the cinnamon (personal preference) and added blueberries. This recipe will be my go-to from now on.
Gail says
I'm so happy you liked it, Sarah! Your alterations sound delicious! Thanks for trying my recipe and for your feedback!
Jen says
Not horrible, but I did not love the texture of the tigernut flour. Very gritty. At least this gf recipe cooks thoroughly . Edible, ok, not bad.
Gail says
I'm so sorry you didn't enjoy the texture, Jen. To me it's like biting into something with small seeds, like a raspberry. I personally don't find it off-putting, but others may.